15 New Gadgets Launched Recently

Every gadget manufacture has a keen observation that the India market is one of the most promising grounds for all kind of gadgets. This month many major and innovative products got launched like the Samsung Galaxy S3, BlackBerry Curve 9320, Spice Mobile TV, World’s lightest ultrabook and even more, many have already reached the Indian market and few of them are on the way. Have a look at these newly launched gadgets.

1. Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung Galaxy S3 is the company’s flagship smartphone that comes in three models-16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB. The basic model might cost 42,500 and will reach the Indian market this June.

The S3 is the successor of the bestselling Galaxy S2 smartphone. Galaxy S3 is powered by Quad-Core processor and runs on Android 4.0. It comes with wireless charging capability and with a great look which makes it a real competitor for Apple iPhone 4S.

The smartphone sports 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED display which has 1280x720 pixel resolution and a voice assistant application called S Voice to fight with Apple Siri technology. The smartphone is a state-of-art in all its specs

2. BlackBerry Curve 9320

Price: Around 12,000

Research In Motion (RIM) unveiled a new stylish smartphone- BlackBerry Curve 9320- the first handset in the Curve series to feature WiFi hotspot functionality. It also features the entire core BlackBerry messaging that keeps people connected all the time and also offers global 3G connectivity. The BB Curve 9320 sports 2.44 inch display with 320x240 pixel screen resolution and full QWERTY keypad along with a dedicated BBM button for instant access to BlackBerry Messenger. The smartphone also has 2 megapixel fixed focus camera, stereo FM radio, media player and expandable memory up to 32 GB via microSD card.

3. Samsung Omnia M

Price: Around 11,000

Samsung has announced its entry level Windows Phone – Omnia M to compete with Nokia Luma 610. It is powered by 1 GHz processor, 384 MB of RAM and a 4 inch display. The device features 5 MP camera, VGA front facing camera, 4 GB on board storage and other features like ChatOn messenger, Samsung AllShare, Music Hub and SkyDrive offering 25 GB of free online storage.

4. HTC Desire C

Price: Around 15,000

After the successful launch of HTC One series smartphone, the company has now unveiled the most hyped and leaked smartphone – Desire C. The HTC Desire C is an affordable smartphone featuring Beats Audio technology in a premium design.

The device comes with 3.5 inch LCD HVGA touchscreen display with 480x320 pixel resolution. It is powered by 600 MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 mobile processor, 512 MB RAM and runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. 

5. Spice Mobile TV

Price: 3,099

Spice Mobility launched its new mobile phone- Spice FLO TV M-5600. This phone is capable of receiving analog television signals without any additional data charges or Wi-Fi network. The FLO TV comes with 3.2 inch QVGA touchscreen with its very own FLO user interface. It also has 1.3 MP camera, FM radio with recording, 8 GB of expandable memory using micro SD cards, a decent battery up to 4 hours of talk time and 2 days of standby time.

6. Jabra Bluetooth Headset

Price: Jabra EASYGO: 2,119 and Jabra EASYCALL: 2,319

Jabra has announced its new improved Jabra EASY product line in India. The Jabra EASY product line includes - the Jabra EASYGO and Jabra EASYCALL Bluetooth headsets. Both the Bluetooth headsets are stylish, light and its design makes it’s very comfortable to wear. It has a DSP technology for crystal clear sound and an automatic volume control that keeps volume constant even when you move between quiet and noisy environments. The headsets also have voice guidance feature that tell when the device need to recharge or if disconnected from your phone.

7. Karbonn A9

Price: 9,000

This affordable smartphone is loaded with 1 GHz processor and runs on Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread operating system. The device sports 3.8 inch capacity touchscreen display with 480x800 pixel resolution, 5 MP back camera with LED flash, VGA front facing camera, 1 GB internal storage and can be expandable up to 32 GB using microSD card. Karbonn has included dual-SIM functionality and a voice assistant based application in A9 to beat Micromax A50’s AISHA and Apple iPhone 4S’s Siri.

8. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the world’s lightest 14 inch ultrabook, weighing around 1.3 kg and measuring just 0.71 inches at is thickest point. This ultrabook’s exterior is made using long lasting carbon-fiber and it is powered with the latest Intel Ivy Bridge processor and compatible with Windows 7 operating system. It sports 14 inch screen that has 1600x900 pixel resolution and the screen is bendable up to 18 degree. Well other interesting features are backlit keyboard, built in 3G connectivity and Rapid Charge which recharges the battery up to 80 percent for just plugging 30 minutes.

9. Kobain iXA Tab

Price: 3,999

Kobain iXA Tab is specially designed for students and the growing mass of customers who are looking to have an affordable tablet. It is powered by 1GHz core processor, 512 MB RAM, 4GB internal storage- expandable to 32GB through microSD and runs on Android 2.3 OS. The device sports a 7 inch resistive touchscreen, built-in 0.3MP camera and lets you enjoy internet surfing, games videos and music.

10. Fujifilm FinePix F660 EXR

Price: 18,999

With the success of FinePix F600, FUJIFILM announced the launch FinePix F660 EXR, a digital zoom compact in Indian market. The camera has 16 MP EXR CMOS sensor, 15x optical zoom with optical image stabilizer, 30x intelligent zoom, a 3 inch LCD display and a pop up flash. It also provides full manual controls and another exciting feature is that it allows you to capture continuous action up to 11 frames per second at continuous shooting mode.  The camera can also record videos in full HD at 30 frames per second and for connectivity it has mini-HDMI port.

11. ViewSonic ViewPhone3

Price: 9,990

ViewSonice launched Android based 3G smartphone with dual-SIM functionality. The handset is powered by 800 MHz Qualcomm processor, 512 MB of RAM and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. It sports 3.5 inch multi-touch display with 320x480 pixel resolution, 5 MP autofocus camera, up to 32 GB expandable memory and for connectivity it comes with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and HSDPA.

12. Panasonic Smart VIERA TV

Price: 13,990 to 3,20,000 (based on the models)

Panasonic announced its new range of SMART VIERA flat panel televisions centered on five pillars of- quality picture, networking, easy operation, design and eco-friendliness. The VIERA come in different sizes ranging from 24 to 55. The Smart VIERA comes with a bundle of features for a unique television viewing experience: super high speed 1,600Hz backlight scanning for LED TVs, high efficiency LED backlight to reduce power consumption, wide viewing angle – IPS LED Panel, ultra fast neo-plasma panel for sharp and crisp, built in Wi-Fi, 3D content and internet connectivity.

13. Simmtronics LED monitors

Price: Starting from 6,000 to 13,000.

Simmtronics has launched five different LED monitors, available in screen size ranging from 15.6 inch to 21.5 inch. These monitors have a super sleek design and the company claims that these monitors are the most eco friendly products in the market.

14. Garmin nuvi 40LM and 50LM GPS Navigators

Price: nuvi 40LM for 8,450 and nuvi 50LM has 9,990

Garmin unveiled two affordable GPS navigators – nuvi 40LM and nuvi 50LM in the Indian market. The nuvi 40LM comes with 4.3 inch display and the nuvi 50LM sports 5 inch display. Both devices comes with life time free all India map and spoken direction in Hindi and English. Along with the Indian map the devices also has Singapore and Malaysia maps and directions.

15. WD My Book Live Duo

Price: 4TB for 24,499 and 6TB for 29,999.

Western Digital has introduced My Book Live Duo, a personal cloud storage system with dual hard drive. The device is available in two variants 4TB and 6TB storage space. It is compatible with Mac and PC. The device connects to home network using Ethernet and you can remotely access data from your iOS or Android devices or DLANA devices like TV’s, gaming consoles or media players.

Help yourself with endowment plans to retire rich

Help yourself with endowment plans to retire rich

Retirement should not mean compromising on one’s usual lifestyle. On the contrary, it is the time when a person should reap the benefits of his or her life’s hard work. Although pension plans are specially tailored to ensure you do just that, they are not the only option. There are endowment plans which can help you retire rich by securing you against the risk of living too long as well as providing for means of livelihood for you and your spouse. Let’s examine how this works: Why do I need a retirement plan?: To ensure that you retire rich, financial planning during your younger years is critical, especially since starting early is the key to building a strong retirement corpus. Some challenges that can come in the way of a rich retirement are the lack of social security and lack of a steady flow of income. Moreover, the rising cost of living would impact the standard of living post-retirement. However, without an upfront guarantee of how much you would get at retirement, planning your older years becomes difficult, which is where relying only on a typical retirement plan may not meet all of your objectives. Look beyond typical retirement plans to retire rich: Here are some of the features that a good pension plan should have: Building a corpus: You should build a corpus with no strings attached like compulsion to purchase an immediate annuity plan. It should offer flexibility and be hassle-free (like withdrawing the corpus at any time). Also, look at tax efficiency, in terms of payouts received from the plan. If planned carefully, endowment plans with features like guaranteed cash back can help build a corpus with limited premium payment and allows you to enjoy the payouts in the same plan. Provisioning for regular future income: While building a corpus, you should be able to get an estimate of what might be the annual payout post-retirement and later. A lump sum at retirement and the flow of a regular “guaranteed” future income could help provide that security. Additional windfall for luxuries: Post-retirement, you have the time to indulge in a few luxuries. Hence, it is good to invest in a plan that would provide for them. Such bonuses are offered by participating endowment plans which declare an accrued reversionary bonus, payable at the end of premium payment term, which can be timed with the retirement age. Life cover: Adequate life cover is essential at any phase and is even more critical after retirement. More often than not, people ignore this requirement or fail to find a plan that offers protection in old age when it is most necessary for their dependents. Endowment plans can help you retire rich: While there are various instruments available to help you plan your retirement, some specially designed endowment plans are an efficient solution to retire rich. One such plan is offered by Bajaj Allianz wherein a lump sum is paid at the end of the premium payment term that can be timed with the retirement age. Thereafter, the plan offers steady flow of guaranteed cash backs and bonuses for a chosen period. Most importantly, in contrast to typical retirement plans, such an endowment plan provides life cover beyond retirement as well as a maturity benefit many years thereafter.

Lottery for Mhada homes today

Lottery for Mhada homes today

The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) will conduct lottery for 2,593 houses in Mumbai and Mira Road on Thursday at Rangsharda auditorium in Bandra west. The first draw will be around 10 am. There are 867 houses in Mumbai and 1,726 houses at Mira Road. Around 11,179 applications for low-cost housing have been rejected by Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) this year. This is for the first time that Mhada has scrutinised the applications and rejected those who are not eligible or have not submitted proper documents. “We wanted to make the lottery process more transparent so that genuine applicants will not miss the chance to own their dream home,” said Satish Gavai, Mhada CEO and vice-president. Mhada received a total of 1,52,045 applications for the Mumbai board’s lottery of 2,593 tenements across the city and neighbouring Mira Road this year. “We are all geared up for the lottery and all the arrangements are being done to make the lottery a successful event,” said Vaishali Wagh, Mhada chief public relations officer. The Mumbai board has appointed a three-member committee to look into the lottery procedure.

To claim compensation in case of employer-employee relationships within a family, it is necessary to have proof of wages in terms of money to prove the employment.

HC: Prove employment within family to claim relief

The Bombay high court has ruled that to claim compensation in case of employer-employee relationships within a family, it is necessary to have proof of wages in terms of money to prove the employment. Justice Mridula Bhatkar observed that it was necessary as without it, every service rendered by family member can be computed in kind, which could then stretch every relation among family members as an employer-employee relationship. This judgment was passed during the hearing of an appeal filed by Lata Ubale who had challenged an order dated November 29, 2010 of the Workmen’s Compensation. The labour court rejected her claim stating that she failed to prove that her son, Lalit, was employed by her estranged husband, Ramchandra, but Ubale’s advocates, MB Kotak and Avinash Gokhale, argued that she had been dependent on her son since her separation from Ramchandra in 1986. Lalit was employed to drive his father’s jeep. He was paid Rs 3,000 per month along with a daily allowance of Rs 25. He died in an accident on March 13, 2000.

Even as their countries were on the verge of a full-scale war.

An Olympic ceasefire

The Olympics aren’t just about athletic achievement and setting world records. They are also about moments that transcend sports. Following the medal ceremony in the 10-metre air pistol event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, bronze medallist Nino Salukvadze of Georgia embraced and kissed silver medal winner Natalia Paderina of Russia, even as their countries were on the verge of a full-scale war. Salukvadze and Paderina’s act of solidarity came just hours after the entire Georgian Olympic squad had considered withdrawing from the Games in protest of Russia’s role in the conflict over South Ossetia. “That kind of sportsmanship is really remarkable,” International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said. It was a poignant moment of sporting conciliation in what had been a jarring weekend of dissolution. Russian president Vladimir Putin stood on the welcoming line at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games – a Friday – while at the same time, Russian tanks moved into South Ossetia, a breakaway region of Georgia that has support from Moscow. Putin returned home the next day. By Sunday, the conflict between Russia and Georgia had left hundreds dead. That morning, Georgia considered withdrawing from the Games, but their president, Mikheil Saakashvili, instructed the 35-member team to remain in Beijing. Russia also decided to continue competing at the Beijing Games. Hours later, Salukvadze won Georgia’s first medal of the Games. “This is a small victory for my people,” Salukvadze said. Of Paderina, she added, “When it comes to sport, we will always remain friends. If the world were to draw any lessons from what we do, there wouldn’t be any wars. There should be no hatred between athletes and people in general. We’ll leave it to the politicians to figure it out.” Paderina, a Russian soldier from Yekaterinburg, said she and Salukvadze had always been close on tour. In fact, they were both once teammates together under the old Soviet Union flag. “We are friends,” she said. “We’ve been shooting together for a long time. We don’t get mixed up in political things. Sport is beyond politics.” A couple of days later, the beach volleyball players from both countries too embraced each other, showing solidarity.

Photo Caption(s):Natalia Paderina and Nino Salukvadze after their Beijing feat —Getty Images

New stuff on the shelves

New stuff on the shelves


Euroair detox purifier

Eureka Forbes has launched a new air purifier, Euroair Detox that detoxifes indoor air and ensures protection from airborne diseases. Ideal for 400-500 square feet room. Some features: carbon filtration, double UV filtration, negative ion generator and low noise. Rs.10,990

Burberry timepieces

Burberry’s latest collections of Swiss-made wrist-watches for women and men are inspired by British style and attitude. Styles for women include sophisticated checks that portray white or nude with faceted rose gold plated indices, smooth leather straps in white or nude and rose gold plated thumbnail buckle. Men’s styles highlight function and performance with chronograph movement watches -- polished and brushed faceted bracelet available in stainless steel, light grey or rose gold plating respectively. Rs.24,950 to Rs.42,450.

Evaporative air-coolers

Usha International, through a joint branding initiative with US-based Honeywell International, has launched internationally designed Usha Honeywell evaporative room air-coolers in a range of 15, 25, 40 and 55-litre water tank capacities. Marketed through Usha showrooms and dealers across India , all models can run on inverters, and specified models come with LCD display and remote control. Rs.8,499-10,999 (normal models); Rs.24,999 (heavy-duty model).

Back to school and fun

The new school term, round the corner, may become exciting for kids with an array of ‘Back-to-School’ merchandise from Cartoon Network – schoolbags featuring an assortment of popular classics like Johnny Bravo, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Billy and Mandy (Rs 895-1,295); stationery, water bottles, sippers and lunch boxes ((Rs 20-599); storybooks and activity books just for girls published by Wisdom Tree (Rs 50-100); and best-selling picture storybooks for young readers in 3D format (Rs 125).